Readings for Friday October 10, 2008

First Reading:  Galatians 3:7-14

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 111

Gospel:  Luke 11:15-26

"Who ever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."  

This is the message that Jesus makes clear in the gospel today.  After being accused of driving out demons in the devil's name and being hounded for a sign from heaven, Jesus sets the people straight and then concludes with this message.  It is very easy to find ourselves on the wrong side of an issue, a battle, or any sort of conflict.  It is in these moments that we must ask ourselves not whether we are for a person or group or not, but if we are on the side of Christ or not.  If we always strive to be on the side of Jesus, then we will always be on the right side.  

So how do we make sure that we are always on the side of Christ?  Two very simple ways.  The first is to ask Him through prayer.  Think about this; how often do you put your decisions in front of God and ask Him what to do.  Wouldn't this make since, since He knows us better than anyone (even ourselves) and He actually has a plan for our lives?  Many of us are guilty of not praying for guidance enough, we are more likely to tell God what we want than ask Him what we should do.  We need to get out of this mindset and start serving God, instead of trying to make God serve us.  If we put on a servants mindset and chose to do the Father's will instead of our own, then we will certainly see our lives change for the better.  

The other thing that we should be doing is asking ourselves that very popular question that is on so many bracelets:  WWJD?  WWJD = What would Jesus Do?  I think that this is a fantastic question that if we asked before each of our decisions we would see a significant drop in those behaviors that lead us away from God.  Cheating on taxes ... WWJD?  Littering ... WWJD?  Downloading music illegally ... WWJD?  Lying to a friend ... WWJD?  I think that we could spend all day naming examples, but I think that the point has been made.  If we are behaving in a way that our Lord would not, then what makes it okay for us to act this way?  

If we constantly ask for the Lord's help and keep Him in our minds throughout each day, then we will not veer off the path.  May the Lord use us all to help gather, and not be people who work against Him.  

Father above, we thank you for the gift of this day.  We praise you for all the gifts in our lives, and we ask for your forgiveness of our sins.  Lord let us praise you this day with all that we do and give all the glory to you.  Lord, help us to be mindful of you at all times and to act as you would.  Send us your Spirit so that we may walk in this world with courage and confidence that comes from you.  We pray for all those seeking you.  We ask this all through Christ our Lord.   Amen.  

Knock and the door will be opened

Readings for Thursday October 9, 2008

First Reading:  Galatians 3:1-5

Responsorial Psalm:  Luke

Gospel:  Luke 11:5-13

Today in the gospel we are told that if we ask, then we shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.  How many times do we lack the faith that God will provide for us?  How often are we unwilling to go to Him when we are in need?  Many times there seems to be something that keeps us from seeking His help.  Sometimes it is that we think that our problems are too small and that God doesn't care.  I believe that there is much danger when we think that God doesn't care or that He is too busy to deal with our problems. Because when we do this, we begin to put limits on God, and this is a dangerous mindset to be in.  Our God is so awesome, we should never think that He doesn't care or is too busy.  He loves us so much, and I am willing to bet that He is a pretty good at multitasking.  

When we put limits on God, then we put limits on His work in our life, and limits on our faith.  When we put limits on our faith, then we begin to hold back, this is not what God intends, He wants us to give of our self totally to Him, as He gives so abundantly to us.  God wants to give us the things that we ask for through prayer and wants to give us His Spirit to guide us, but we cannot receive if we do not ask or have faith.  Paul makes it clear to the Galatians today that it is through faith in Christ that we receive the Spirit. 

How is the Holy Spirit working in your life right now?  What things in your life are you struggling with now, that you need God's guidance?

Knock and the door will be opened.  

Father above, we thank you for the gift of this day.  We thank you for giving us your love and mercy.  Lord, increase our faith so that we may be more willing to be led by you in our lives.  Show us you will for this day, and may all that we do glorify you.  We ask this all through Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

  

The right path

Readings for Wednesday October 8, 2008

First Reading:  Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 117

Gospel:  11:1-4

Have you ever gone hiking and walking along a path only to find yourself in unfamiliar territory?  Or have you ever gone to the grocery store with the intent of only getting a loaf of bread, but find yourself getting sidetracked down the ice cream isle?  It is funny how when we are on a journey or a mission, how easy it is to get distracted and veer off the path we were on.  

Today Paul tells us of an example of someone who got a little sidetracked on his journey, and it was none other than Peter.  Even Peter still got a little sidetracked on his journey, and found himself going down the wrong path.  That is why Paul "opposed him to his face."  This is what being a part of the body of Christ entails, building each other up and helping each other back on the path when we veer.  When people challenge us or if we get caught doing something that we are not supposed to, we should be so thankful to God.  We should be thankful because He loves us enough to put someone around to help us off that path we are heading down.  I know that there were many events and people in my life who have helped straighten me out, and while at the time I was very bitter towards those people; I know realize that God put those people in my life to get me off of a path I was heading down, which was not the right path.  

It is often very difficult to navigate the waters of our life.  A lot of times we lose sense of direction and can look to other guides.  Many times these false guides lead us to places that are not the best for us, and ultimately down the wrong path.  We must, as Paul says; be "in line with the truth of the Gospel."  Let always look to Christ as our only guide in our lives, let us ask for His wisdom and guidance for us, so that we may go down the right path.  

In today's gospel Jesus teaches to to pray:  

Our Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.  Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.  Amen. 

Humble Pie

Readings for Tuesday October 7, 2008

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

First Reading:  Galatians 1:13-24  

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 139

Gospel:  Luke 10:38-42

In both of the readings today Paul and Martha both experience what I like to call "being served a nice slice of humble pie."  In the first reading Paul talks about the choices that he made before meeting the risen Christ.  Paul was a very zealous persecutor of Christians, and he had been very adamant about destroying the church.  God obviously had much bigger plans for Paul.  Paul at the time had very good intentions, and he actually thought that he was serving God through his dedication to Judaism, but as Dr. Samuel Johnson once said:  "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."  Paul learned a very hard lesson here, to which he rightly shared with the church in Galatia.    

In the gospel today, Martha likewise has very good intentions, but these intentions lead her instead to feeling betrayed and judgemental of her sister Mary.  When Martha complains to Jesus about her sister, Martha is instantly served a slice of humble pie.  Jesus leads us to see that it is Mary who has chose the better path ... to listen and to be with Christ.  I believe that this gospel leads us to see that we must have balance in our life.  There are times when we will need to work and do good works in order to serve the Lord, and there will also be times when we really need to "just be" with our Lord.  I think in these moments of being with the Lord we should simply say as the Psalmist says today "Guide me Lord, along the everlasting way."  

The choices that we make in our lives are so important ... from the smallest decision to some of our biggest, we must ask the Lord to guide us along the path He has planned for us.  Because even though we may think that we are doing the right thing or that we have good intentions, the truth may be that we are acting against God and His will for us.  But be sure that if we do find ourselves acting against His will, we can usually expect to find a fresh slice of humble pie waiting for us.  It is in these humbling moments that we should learn from our mistakes and ask for God's forgiveness and mercy through the Sacrament of reconciliation.  

Today think about the following questions:  How do you make your decisions?  Do you make all of them, or do you ask for guidance from your Creator?  

Father above, we thank you for the gift of this day.  We thank you and give you praise for all that we have and all that we are, for without you our lives would not be possible.  Lord, even though it is hard, let us all take up our crosses and follow you every minute of every day of lives.  Lord God, we pray for all those who are struggling in making their decisions, may you bring them wisdom and guidance through prayer.  We ask this all through Christ our Lord.  Amen.      

   

Hold Nothing Back

Readings for Monday October 6, 2008

First Readings:  Galatians 1:6-12

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm  111

Gospel:  Luke 10:25-37

Before every football game that I ever played all of my coaches had one resounding message:  "hold nothing back."  I was always taught to go out every game and give it everything that I had.  We were always told to "leave it all on the field."  This meant that when we played a game we should play our hearts out; with all of our strength, courage, passion, energy, desire ... everything.  so by the end of the game when we walk off of the field, we had left everything that we had played with in that game, and therefore did not hold a single thing back.  We were told that if we did this, then we would be winners.  

The same is true with our faith life.  Today in the gospel we are told that in order to gain eternal life we must love God with all our heart, our being, our strength, and our mind; and we must love our neighbor as our self.  This requires us to love God with all that we are, and to not hold back anything from Him.  It is not enough to just say that we love God, we must show it.  In our faith life, we need to "leave it all on the field."  God does not hold back His love for us, he never stops loving or caring about us because He is too busy or too tired.  No, God opens Himself up to us to receive Him, but it is we who hold back and do not fully accept His love and grace.  If God never holds back on us, shouldn't we work to love Him the same?    

Let us pray for the holy Spirit's guidance in our lives to help lead us to heaven; and to help us remove any barriers that prevent us from loving God with our whole being and keep us from being loving and merciful to our neighbors.  For if we leave it all on the field with God and hold nothing back, then we too can inherit eternal life.  

Father above, we thank you for the gift of this day and for all that you give to us.  Lord, help us to love you with all our heart, mind and strength from now until the end of our days on this earth.  Lord we pray for the compassion to love our neighbors as ourselves and pray for the strength to love.  Lord, be with all those who are struggling on their faith journey and all those seeking you.  We ask this all through Christ our Lord.  Amen.      

   

Our Guardian Angels

Readings for Thursday October 2, 2008

Memorial of the Guardian Angels

First Reading:  Job 19:21-27

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 27

Gospel:  Matthew 18: 1-5, 10

On Monday we honored the Archangels, today we honor our guardian angels.  Once again, it is important to remember the words of St. Augustine:  "Angel is the name of their office, not of their nature."  This is important for us to remember because it shows us once again how God looks after us.  He appoints each of us a guardian angel to help lead us to heaven.  While I have never actually met an angel (although I know they are around), I have no doubts in my mind that they take their "office" very seriously.  Our guardian angels seek to lead us to the Father, let us to remember to include them in our prayers and ask for their intercessions.  

In the gospel today Jesus makes it very clear that the angels are looking after us.  

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

Let us praise the Lord for all of His great mercy, and always be thankful for the blessings He gives us in life.  The Lord will always give us a way to Him, we simply need to be open to receive the many gifts and graces that He gives so abundantly.  

Guardian Angels, pray for us.  

Father above, we thank you fro the gift of this day, and for sending your servants out to look after us.  Father help us to serve you with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength this day.  We praise you for all the blessings in our lives, and we thank you for all that you have made us and all that you give.  We pray for all those who are suffering in the world.  We ask this all through Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

God First

Readings for Wednesday October 1, 2008

Memorial of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church

First Reading:  Job 9:1-12, 14-16

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 88

Gospel:  Luke 9:57-62

The Presidential candidate John McCain has a great slogan out now that says "Country First."  This is a great slogan as it addresses our societies selfish need to take care of "me first."  While this slogan is very important, and we should take our responsibilities as citizens of this great country very seriously; this phrase does not reflect how we should be living our lives.  Instead of country first...it should be "God First."  Many faithful throughout history have understood the importance of this calling, and today we honor Saint Therese of the Child Jesus who understands this calling as well as any. 

 Saint Therese (also known as the little flower) was a Carmelite nun in Lisieux, France.  Saint Therese devoted herself to love of Christ and love of others.  She knew exactly what it meant to put "God First."  The following excerpt comes from Rev. John F. Russell, O.Carm.: 

 

"St. Therese believed that love was everything. She recognized the centrality of love when she read I Corinthians 13; she wanted to embrace that call.  She translated this desire for love by developing her relationship to Jesus Christ. She gave each day to him as a way of manifesting her love for him. When she discovered that life was not easy in the convent of Lisieux, that some of the nuns were coarse and difficult to live with, she came to the conclusion that the condition would be chronic. It was not going to go away. Therefore she had to decide how she would live within this environment. She discovered her “little way”: to accept that each one came ultimately from the divine artist and thus each one is loved forever by God. Therefore she would love them as best she could…a kind word, a smile, an assist when she was able."

In the gospel today Jesus reminds those that He asks to follow Him to not worry about the other things first, that they need to put Him first.  This is often a difficult task for us, to put God first, even above family and friends.  But this is what we are called to do.  But like Saint Therese, we will see that when we surrender to God and chose to love Him first, we will find that we can better love others.  By putting God first in our lives, we will see that our other relationships will thrive better and that our lives and the things that we need to do will be put into a much clearer perspective.  

Let us all pray for the selfless and childlike love that we are called to love God and each other with.  Saint Therese, pray for us.  

Father above, we thank you for the gift of this day.  We pray for the strength and courage to follow you no matter what comes before us in our lives.  Help us to humble ourselves and give of ourselves totally as your servant Saint Therese had.  Lord we pray for all those who are struggling in their journey now and all those in need.  We ask this all through Christ our Lord.  Amen.